Ron Hartman: Will Magic ever get last laugh?

They're so bad that the Harlem Globetrotters are said to be working on a deal to get them to replace the Washington Generals as their traveling companions.

They're so bad that the NBA is thinking about shifting their games down the road to the Magic Kingdom, because they've become such a Mickey Mouse organization.

They're so bad that they might decide to activate Grant Hill, then enter the NBA's wheelchair division. That would be one way to ease the strain on Tracy McGrady's fragile back.

Maybe the NBA should follow the NHL's lead and play its first-ever game outdoors with a wind chill of 15 below. Players could feel free to slide across the icy floor. After all, it's the NBA, so there's no need to worry about getting called for traveling.

The cold-shooting Magic would be perfect for such a game. When you're riding a 12-game losing streak, you're willing to play underwater if it might change your luck.

This is a desperate team, and they're prepared to take desperate measures. They've already fired the coach, even though Doc Rivers has long been considered one of the league's bright young minds.

They've tried new lineups, but it hasn't helped. McGrady is one of the NBA's top five players, but Tom Hanks had a better supporting cast in Cast Away.

The warning signs were there after a 1-7 preseason, then Orlando miraculously won their season opener in Madison Square Garden, forcing an overtime after being 10 points down with less than two minutes to play.

They haven't won since, though three of their 12 losses have been by three points or less.

There is one bright side for the Magic, however. They play in the ridiculously easy Atlantic Division, where they are a scant 51/2 games behind the first-place 76ers (7-7).

Last year the Magic scrambled their way into the eighth and final playoff spot, then were within an eyelash of upsetting top-seeded Detroit in the first round. Who knows, maybe they can sneak in again if they can just finish with a record of, say, 38-44.

It has been a sad state of affairs for Florida's NBA teams, as the Miami Heat, at 3-11, don't appear to be in any better shape than the Magic. But appearances can be deceiving.

New faces Lamar Odom, Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem have injected some much-needed spice into a woefully bland team. Once they get Caron Butler back to full speed, the Heat -- don't laugh -- are on the verge of becoming a legitimate contender in the East.

Nobody has played a tougher schedule than Miami, which just wrapped up a grueling five-game West Coast trip. They won just one of those five games -- against Seattle -- but almost beat Porland and Phoenix, as well.

This is a Heat team worth watching, which is a good thing.

Because Florida's other NBA team is nothing but a big joke.